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A restaurant veteran is bringing his vision to Westerville’s vacant, 87-year-old State
Theater.

Kevin Campbell plans to open 8 State Bistro in the former-theater-turned-store in December.

Campbell, who worked in operations management at Max & Erma’s for 22 years, said he was
always intrigued as he passed by the old theater at 8 N. State St. in Westerville’s uptown.

“I said that theater location could be awesome,” he said.

In January, out hunting for a spot to plant his own restaurant, he saw a “for lease” sign on the
State Theater. The theater was built in 1927 but hasn’t shown films since the mid-1970s when it
shut down and became a clothing store.

For 21 years, the former theater had been home to Amish Originals. Last year, the furniture
store moved a block away to a bigger location.

Campbell signed a 10-year lease on the building and put together a concept and

financing for 8 State Bistro, which should open the first week of December. There will be
considerable remodeling of the interior, he said, including the installation of an open kitchen
along the wall that held the original stage and movie screen.

“That will be our stage now,” he said.

The restaurant will serve upscale American fare, Campbell said, with a focus on steaks, seafood
and pasta — obtaining as much food as possible from local sources. Classic cocktails with quirky
ingredients and modern twists will be a signature of its 20-seat bar.

“This is just a nice place to go to have a great meal,” he said.

Parking can be tight in uptown, so the restaurant will offer free valet parking. One of the
investors secured a nearby parking lot, he said, to ease on-street parking for other stores.

In a tribute to the building’s roots, silent films might be shown some nights on the wall above
the kitchen, and a waiting area with theater seating and movie memorabilia is in the plan, Campbell
said.

Getting a new business in the theater is a big deal, said Amish Originals owner Doug
Winbigler.

“I think anything in that location is good,” Winbigler said. “It’s been over a year that it has
been empty. It is an economic hit to have it empty.

“Everybody knows that marquee.”

Customers always chatted about their experiences in the former movie house, he said.

“There are a lot of good memories in there. People would talk about the movies that they saw
there, their first date. They loved it.”